Less Stuff More Memories

July 11, 2013 By: Jasmine

Less stuff more memories. What exactly does that mean? For some, it may mean less physical clutter. For others, it may mean less mental clutter. Whatever ‘stuff’ you need to de-clutter from your life, you NEED to do it sooner than later to live your life to its fullest potential and focus on what really matters. Gorgeous gold foiled art print available in the shop now!Life has changed a lot for me in the last two years. I had my second little one in February 2011 and a few months after she was born, I had another little baby, IDEA! event + style, which comprises of my event planning business and Etsy shop. That’s right, I call it my third baby. If you are a small business creative reading this, then you completely understand what I’m talking about. With all these changes happening after a relatively-smooth-ride for a few years, I found I suddenly had too much to deal with. I couldn’t give enough of myself to any one thing at a time which resulted in me feeling frazzled and pulled in every direction, things not getting done the way I needed them to and I found myself wanting and booking vacations constantly. To get-away-from-it-all. But wait? WHY did I need to get away from what I loved? Shouldn’t I WANT to be doing more of what I loved? To find the answer, I actually did end up booking a vacation to Palm Beach, FL earlier this year. I didn’t know what I was so confused and ‘brain cluttered’ about.
My happy place :)But then, I sat with the ocean at my feet on the shores of the beautiful Palm Beach. And I’m sure you know by now, my soul belongs to the sea and my deepest thoughts come while I’m gazing at those calming waves. (My entire branding is based on the colors and elements of the ocean!) How I wish I still lived by the sea, I would definitely be more productive. So back to me sitting and gazing at the sea while hubs was trying to find change for the parking meter (it took a whole 45 minutes!) and the kids were splashing around and finally building that long-promised sand castle. In that unexpectedly quiet moment, everything just felt RIGHT. I was where I belonged. Not literally and physically (even though I would love to live in Palm Beach!) but mentally. I realized being away from my mental and physical clutter was what I needed to focus on the moment that was THERE and NOW. I wasn’t worrying about how many projects needed to get finished or which room in my house was a complete disaster. I was living the moment and giving it the respect it deserved. And then it hit me. I didn’t need STUFF. STUFF wouldn’t sit by me when I was 70 years old and rocking on a chair on that proverbial front porch. That oh-so-perfect (and very expensive!) BCBG dress wouldn’t even fit me anymore. Only the memories that I’m making NOW would stay with me THEN. But sometimes, in the pursuit of that ‘stuff’ we don’t have time to make those precious memories. Right? That’s when I clicked the pic above (yup, that was my exact view when I had these thoughts) and posted it to Instagram. That post sparked the design for this beautiful gold foil art print to serve as a reminder for me. It only seemed fitting to use ocean colors as part of the design! If THIS resonates with you, frame one as a reminder for yourself too. To be available in the shop soon! Also read Nancy Ray’s “Contentment Challenge” for similar thoughts :)Happy memory-making friends!Jasmine